


The Dreamers of Ilvermorny

by selkye



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 1890s, 1920s, Edwardian Period, F/M, Feel-good, Growing Up Together, Other, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, period drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:33:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29837478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selkye/pseuds/selkye
Summary: Belladonna Danton, a Faroe selkie witch, Percival Graves, a lonely heir, and Charlotte Moreau, an overwhelmed athlete, attend Ilvermorny from 1897 to 1905. The three of them support each other, making the best out of their days at Ilvermorny and after.
Kudos: 3





	The Dreamers of Ilvermorny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick thank you to SugarBloomArt for beta-reading! She is incredibly talented and I highly recommend checking out her work!

The Ilvermorny sorting ceremony had to be one of the most magical experiences Belladonna had ever been a part of. It never really occurred to her how important it was, but she now realized the feeling of belonging it brought. Not only was she welcomed to Ilvermonry with open arms, but she was sorted into her own house, which was supposed to be filled with people who were like-minded. It was warm and comforting, like a heavy duvet on a particularly cold night. 

“Belladonna Danton!” She could still remember how her ears rang when her name was called to be sorted. Vividly, she can recall the chills that ran down her spine when she put her hand into the small chest, which stood on a podium in front of the professor’s table in the Great Hall. It was made of warm brown wood with golden baroque embellishments. If anyone were to look into the chest, they would only see an inky void. When Bella put her hand in, she was no longer able to see her arm past her wrist; it was frightening but so exciting.

She could still hear the cheers of the Thunderbird table when her house was called, given that she had pulled out the compass instead of the quill, the sheathed dagger, or the tear-shaped potion bottle. The crackling sound, which came from the hung banners as a result of her sorting into Thunderbird, will stay in her mind for months. The orange necktie that was given to her by her head of house felt silky between her fingers; it was then when the feeling of belonging kicked in. 

The older Thunderbirds were welcoming to the new ones. Everyone was curious about one another, having conversations about where they were from. True to the house’s core beliefs, this was definitely a group of aspiring adventurers. 

After curfew, they had a little get-together in the common room, away from the other houses and professors, laughing and playing a couple of trust-building games. Though, they could not stay up too long with classes starting the next morning. It would not be a good start to the academic year, to get on the bad side of the head of their house.

Bella was ready to sleep as soon as she pulled the covers over her, but, as the adrenaline and excitement started to dim, she started to feel homesick. Her uncle’s manor had been her home for years; she was aware that she needed to give herself time to adjust, but that did not make her yearning for home any less. As she slept, she could feel the comforting presence of her sealskin, which sat in a locked chest under her bed, the key hanging securely from her neck.

The next morning, breakfast was served in the Great Hall at seven o’clock, giving students ample time to eat and get to their first class by eight o’clock.

“Up and at ‘em, ladies!” One of the older Thunderbirds, the top girl, had come in to wake up the first-years for their first official day as Ilvermorny students. 

The Great Hall was massive. It was long and tall, a rounded shape being mirrored by the vaulted ceilings. The school was made of stone, metal, and dark-colored wood, and its brilliance was surely displayed in the Great Hall. 

Breakfast was pleasant without the stress of homework or exams looming over the students just yet. The morning light came in through the large windows of the main hall, which hung about a story higher, giving the area such a nice and welcoming glow. Of course, it was gorgeous at night, but there was a completely different energy to it during the day.

All types of breakfast foods were laid out on the different house tables. Each table had a thin tablecloth that matched each house. Fruit, eggs, bacon, waffles, pancakes; a whole palette of flavors was at the students’ disposal. As more students entered for breakfast, more echoes filled the large area. Bella was able to converse with those who sat near her, though she was clearly distracted. Bella had been keeping an eye out for Kaine Halloran, her cousin and the boy she had been living with. He was nowhere to be found on the ferry to Ilvermorny or in the halls of the school. Even during the sorting ceremony’s celebratory dinner, he was nowhere to be found. Sure, he was two years older than her, but she should have been able to spot him since she was looking.

_Maybe Kaine is not here?_ Bella pondered. _If I don’t see him today, I will send an owl to Uncle. Did something change between the ferry ride and arriving at Ilvermorny?”_

Luckily, she spotted the back of his sandy blonde head as he was leaving the main hall. Bella made note of the left turn he took before looking up at the large clock, which sat above the professors’ table; she had at least half an hour before she needed to skedaddle to class. 

“Hey, Bella,” one of the boys who was sitting across from her called out. “Are you okay?”

“Yes!” Bella nodded, still distracted, but she took the time to give him a warm smile. “If you’ll excuse me...” She stood up from the table and went to follow Kaine, putting on her boater hat and adjusting her cloak. She wanted to greet the person who has been by her side for years! Who knows, maybe he will congratulate her for being at Ilvermorny—or coming from a different house himself, perhaps he will just poke fun at her.

Bella took the same left to the corridor that she saw Kaine take. Through the windows, she could see him out with his friend out in the courtyard. There were a couple of other older wizards and witches out there as well, catching up after a long period of no contact. 

She exited through the open metal gate to enter the courtyard, relaxing once the morning sun and autumn winds had hit her. In the middle of the courtyard, there stood a beautiful, tall fountain. In each of the four corners of the area were smaller fountains. The light sparkled on the water of each of them. Grass covered the area and concrete paths lined the edges.

“Kaine,” she called out to him, smiling. He turned to face her, frowning. “How are you doing, cousin?” She stopped walking once she was directly in front of him. “I missed you at the ferry.” Kaine looked up at nothing before he looked back down at Bella.

“Yes, well, it is a big boat.”

“Aren’t you going to introduce me, Kaine,” his friend asked. This was a friend that Bella had heard about: Robbert Thornton. “This the same cousin you told me about?”

“Yeah, this is Belladonna.” Kaine rolled his eyes, which is something that did not go unnoticed by Bella. “My fish of a cousin.” Bella’s smile started to falter, but she tried her best to keep it up.

“Um, fish?”

“Yeah, Bella. You know, fish? You’re a selkie, aren’t you.” Kaine’s words were getting sharper, which started to gather attention from the other students who were outside. There were no professors outside and it seemed like the head students were nowhere to be found. This was not good and Bella could feel the tension rising. 

“Yes, Kaine, you know this. But-”

“What, like those things in the UK?” Robbert had piped in. “They’re scary things. They drown people, you know? They are nightmarish.”

“Yes,” Bella answered. “But those selkies are different from us. Faroe-”

“Don’t you see the resemblance, Robbie?” Kaine put his hands up to make a rectangle with his thumbs and pointer fingers, peering at her through it. “Freakish little thing.” Bella was speechless. She had no idea Kaine had thought these things about her. He definitely gave no indication of it when they were at home with her uncle. In her frozen state, Bella could do nothing but allow for her eyes to well up with tears. Not only was she being unexpectedly demeaned by the person she thought of as an older brother, but there was now a group of students, mostly upperclassmen, watching. She kept her eyes on Kaine, avoiding the crowd.

“Kaine,” she croaked. 

“You heard me, Bella.” Kaine got a little too close to her face, his confidence rising as the crowd gathered around him. Her eyes went wide. “You. Are. A. Freak.” Each word was spat out with such conviction, each syllable piercing through her like bullets. She did not know how to react. 

“Selkie witches and wizards are known to be beautiful. You know that, right?” Bella, trying to hold back tears, though failing, looked at the boy who came up beside her. “Regardless of who they are or what they look like, they always seem to be so...” He paused. “Radiant.”

“Mind your business, Graves.” Kaine brushed him off with a sneer. “This has nothing to do with you.” 

“You’re a bully,” he said, getting to the point. “And a meater¹.” He was so unafraid of the upperclassman, looking directly into Kaine’s eyes. “Come on.” The boy tugged on Bella’s arm, leading her away from the courtyard and through the small crowd that had formed.

“He’s jealous, you know,” the boy said, breaking the silence between them as they walked down the corridor, away from the courtyard. “You are a selkie and he isn’t.”

“He’s never been aggressive about it before,” she mumbled before clearing her throat and straightening her back. “We’ve known each other since we were toddlers and he has never been so hateful. I was always a little aware of his concerns about me being a selkie, but...” She stopped for a moment. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be blabbing on like this.”

“No, it’s okay.” The boy glanced at her. “I don’t mind.” He sensed that she was becoming a tad uncomfortable. “My name is Percival. Wampus.” She noticed the red tie around his collar; it was the same tie as the one around Kaine’s. A gold wampus was embroidered onto the left side of his brown waistcoat, which could barely be seen under his black cloak; Bella’s uniform had the same gold embroidery, but her’s was of a thunderbird.

“Percival Graves...” Bella felt the taste of his name in her mouth. She stopped and held her hand out for him to shake. “Well, if we are doing introductions, I am Belladonna Danton, but I prefer “Bella.” I’m a Thunderbird.” Percival let a small smile escape him and shook her hand, glancing at her orange tie. She had a surprisingly strong grip. The smile she had on her face now suited her much better than the utter look of betrayal she had worn just moments before.

They continued to walk aimlessly.

“You are absolutely bricky², you know that?” Bella remarked, laughing. “Talking back to the upperclassmen like that?” Percival scoffed.

“I’m supposed to be brave. That is my job as a Wampus.” She nodded, a small smile on her face.

“Yes, I suppose it is.” She thought for a moment. “Oh Merlin, Uncle Soloman will be expecting a letter from me soon. I suppose I’m going to have to tell him about what just happened.”

“You should. If that cousin of yours is his son, he should know how he is shaming his family’s name at Ilvermorny.” A moment of silence passed. “What is your first class?”

“Charms. I have it with Boggs.”

“Well, I have the same class.”

“Oh! Shall we walk there together, then? We should start walking now if we are to make it in time.” Percival smiled.

“Because you want to walk with me or because you might get lost?”

“Hey! That’s rude!” She giggled. “Though, you are correct. It is a bit of both, actually —but don’t worry! Once I figure out the school, I will be out of your hair. Years of ocean-diving has given me a good sense of direction.” Percival smiled, not being able to admit that her presence was not unwelcome. She was like a ray of sunshine, despite the fact that she was crying not too long ago. It was comforting to be in her presence. Though, he did not know enough about the Faroe Island selkies to know if it was due to her friendly demeanor or her selkie genetics. 

They made an odd duo. Percival stayed quiet as Bella continued to talk, the conversation shifting to their wands. They were still very young and had gotten their wands merely a month before arriving at the school. His wand was quite simple, being only black and silver with no intricate carvings or designs. Bella’s was more detailed with flowers encapsulated in the clear handle, a gold band separating the handle from the rest of the wand. Even the young Percival Graves was clearly excited about his wand, though he chose to take the back seat in the conversation, listening to Bella as she went on about the day she got her wand. 

Oh, this was an odd duo indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¹Victorian slang for a coward  
> ²Victorian slang for brave or fearless

**Author's Note:**

> To see more art and content for this project, see my Instagram (@s.elkye)!


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